kindness

Empaths do not only have the capability to discern another person’ suffering or pain. We also have the gift of compassion – the ability, as well as the desire, to mitigate someone else’s pain, or alleviate it all together. The two abilities go hand in hand. I have yet to meet an empath who doesn’t express deep compassion and a sincere desire to mitigate pain and suffering. It’s a wonderful gift that the world could use a lot more of right now.

According to Emma Seppälä, a writer for the Harvard Business Review, compassion is a much better business management tactic than toughness. Research shows that the more compassionate response will get you more powerful results as a business manager.

Compassion inspires loyalty according to a study by Jonathan Haidt of New York University. Haidt found that the more employees looked up to their leaders, and were moved by their compassion or kindness (a state he called elevation), the more loyal they became to them. It follows then that responding with anger or frustration has the opposite effect.

Friends are a wonderful addition to our lives. In some cases they even take the place of family of origin, and become our chosen family. A healthy friendship is a balanced one – give and take, trust, loyalty, acceptance and truth delivered with compassion. Unfortunately, for the empath, friendship can also be treacherous territory, sometimes rife with debbie downers, energy thieves, and psychic vampires.

There are different levels of friendship, from casual social friendships to those we call ‘best friends.’ These best friends are ones with whom we feel safe sharing our deepest secrets, fears, hopes and dreams.

Social media has made it much easier in recent years to connect with friends. With a click of the keyboard a new friend can be made or an old acquaintance rekindled. Social media sites have even recognized the importance of providing the choice of putting people into the appropriate category, such as people from work or close friends. People can be also unfriended, blocked or reported if they are out of bounds, and what is seen publicly by our friends can be limited.

It is a hard lesson for some of us to learn that people are just people. We are all capable of good and evil. The difference is the choices that are made on how to handle our emotions and feelings.

When you put faith and trust in an individual and are let down, you start to second guess your decisions and lose some faith in yourself to make wise decisions. It can leave a big hole in your heart and create trust issues in the future.

It seems impossible for a person who has done remarkable good deeds to also choose to do bad things. We must realize that all people have temptations in life. Some people can avoid the albatross on their back, while others simply cannot. It takes a very strong person to walk their talk.

The same applies to ‘highly spiritual’ people, because some healers, gurus and spiritual leaders certainly have had their own cross to bear.

I asked my mentor how I would get energy healing work. Her answer to me was, “You don’t have to do a thing, they will come to you.” She was really right about this! Healing is a part of my life purpose and the right people seem to find me at the right time.

One of my most memorable healing experiences involved a young girl who only 8 or 9 years old at the time. I was living in a pretty large apartment building at the time, in a not-too-nice part of the city. We lived on the same floor.

Ventilation was not so great in this complex and only a few people had air conditioning, so everyone would leave their doors open in the summer, for a draft of fresh air to come into the stuffy apartments.

Many of the children would play with each other in the hallways. It was always noisy, but in a way it was better than having them play out on the streets without adult supervision. When they did go outside, a mom was always with them, to bring them over to the park that was a few blocks away. Then there are some good parents and some not so good parents, as usually the case is.

I was speaking recently with a friend who prefers to hide from the world. In his words, “I want people to remember me the way I used to look, instead of how I look now.” I couldn’t help but lower my head in that moment. I adore this man in every way. His looks mean nothing to me, for I have seen his heart. To me he is extremely handsome. I wish he felt the same way about himself.

I have thought the same about myself, many times over the years, but not so much anymore. I take pride in my appearance, but I have also come to understand that my looks are not the ‘sum of my parts.’

We live in a very superficial world, where we are made to believe by almost every media and marketing message out there, that as long as you are beautiful or handsome, the world is your oyster. There also doesn’t seem to be any getting away from it. I recall in my own youth flipping through magazines to look at the ‘beautiful people,’ and thinking to myself, their lives must be perfect. Of course, today I know that nothing could be further from the truth.

The holiday season is a time when many of us are focused on family and friends. I have always found that this time of year brings joy, but also a little sadness. Feelings of grief tend to peak around the holidays, as we notice empty chairs at large family gatherings, or wrap gifts and find old tags with a loved one’s name on it. It cannot be avoided, but feeling grief or loss of a loved one around the holidays is also a reminder of the depth of our love for that person.

The stress of the holidays can be quite overwhelming. We are worried about ‘having enough,’ or purchasing the ‘right gift.’ Did we forget something, or someone? At times we tend to go overboard and then regret it later. If you’re like me, you’ll set a budget limit per family member, and then find you’ve far surpassed it with one, and then struggle to make up the difference for the others!

For example, my daughter is probably the easiest person in the world to buy for, and I always go overboard with her gifts. Then I have to scramble to find things for my son to equal the value and number of gifts.

Often referred to as the Angel of Justice, the name Raguel actually means ‘Friend of God.’ However, Archangel Raguel is considered to be the overseer of not only justice, but also of fairness, harmony and redemption. It is his job to see that God’s will is done on both Earth and in Heaven. Furthermore, he wants you to have the best earthly experience possible. Here’s how to recognize when he is around.

Order In Chaos

Do you feel that your life is a little chaotic at the moment or not ‘in flow?’ Should this be the case, then you may well find that new ideas of how to turn chaos into calm, and thus bring a sense of order into your life, may pop into your head courtesy of Archangel Raguel himself.

Raguel is the leader of a band of angels otherwise known as The Principalities. This group of heavenly beings are known to assist others in the creation of order in their lives. They often do so by recommending spiritual practices, such as meditation, prayer, reading religious texts, connecting with nature on a daily basis, helping those in need, and attending places of worship – all of which would help them grow closer to God. Furthermore, when necessary, they may offer this type of advice to you.